Distributed crossbar switch

Abstract

The Invention provides a locally distributed crossbar switch to optically connect many computer processors and memories in arbitrary permutation an without interruption. A process or and an associated memory can be packaged together, taking advantage of the fact that the distributed crossbar switch employs local switching. At the same time, processor-memory pairs can be physically separated from other such processor-memory pairs, and by great distance.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A distributed switching assembly, comprising: (a) N transmitter-receiver pairs, wherein each receiver comprises a switched array of N detectors for detecting and selecting a particular transmitted signal, wherein each transmitter-receiver pair is packaged together;   (b) optical fiber routing means for linking a transmitter and a receiver through   (c) fanout reformatter means for: (i) accepting a signal output from each transmitter by way of the optical fiber routing means;   (ii) fanning out the signal output from each transmitter from 1 to N branches; and   (iii) reformatting all of the Kth branches, where K is from 1 to N, from each transmitter for providing N inputs to the Kth receiver by way of the optical fiber routing means.     
     
     
       2. A switching assembly according to claim 1, wherein the fanout reformatter is passive. 
     
     
       3. A switching assembly according to claim 2, wherein the fanout-reformatter comprises a fused half-star coupler. 
     
     
       4. A switching assembly according to claim 2, wherein the fanout-reformatter comprises a planar waveguide structure. 
     
     
       5. A switching assembly according to claim 2, wherein the fanout-reformatter comprises crossed phase gratings. 
     
     
       6. A switching assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the transmitter-receiver pairs is separated from the other pairs by at least 100 meters. 
     
     
       7. A switching assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one transmitter outputs an asynchronous signal. 
     
     
       8. A switching assembly according to claim 1, wherein N is 2 to 256.